One of the most important reforms that helped Ukraine persevere at the beginning of the full-scale war was decentralization. It was this reform that created the foundation for community self-organization and became critically important during the first days of the invasion.

This was stated by the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine, Katarína Mathernová, during the 18th annual Kyiv Security Forum themed “Darkness or Dawn: Is Light Ahead?”

“I have always said that one of the most important transformational reforms in Ukraine is decentralization. It created a certain cycle of unity, where communities learned to self-organize and act together,” Mathernová noted.

The Ambassador emphasized that she had personally seen the results of this reform during her travels across Ukraine’s regions.

“I have visited about 20 regions and spoken with local leaders. Many of them are convinced: Ukraine would not have persevered the way it did when it was predicted that Kyiv would fall in three days. It was precisely the communities’ capacity for self-organization that helped survive the initial blows,” she emphasized.

Mathernová added that the war has been a serious test for this governance model and, at the same time, has proven its effectiveness. Separately, the diplomat noted that there is no single model of decentralization in the European Union that is imposed on countries.

“There is no single formula in the EU. There are highly decentralized countries, such as Germany, where the states have broad powers, and there are other models. This is a decision for each individual state,” the diplomat explained.

Instead, according to her, the European Union operates on a fundamental principle - subsidiarity, which entails delegating powers to the level where they can be implemented most effectively.

“Education, healthcare, local services - these are the areas that function best at the community level. This is not something imposed, but rather based on the understanding that local authorities know the people’s needs best,” Mathernová concluded.

“Open Ukraine” is an international foundation established in 2007 upon the initiative of Arseniy Yatsenyuk to strengthen Ukraine’s standing in the world. Each year, the Foundation organizes the Kyiv Security Forum, which has become Ukraine’s leading international discussion platform on issues of war and peace, as well as the Youth Kyiv Security Forum, aimed at developing a new generation of Ukrainian leaders.